


It Began With A Sputter

by unholystagepresence



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance, maybe smut later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-07
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-15 23:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10559590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unholystagepresence/pseuds/unholystagepresence
Summary: Ryder is not the most elegant with her feelings, but sometimes she can be brave, and with Tiran Kandros, she decides to give it a go.





	1. It's a Date...Only if You Want it to Be

**Author's Note:**

> There's not enough Kander (as I'm calling the ship name until an official one is decided) in the world, so let's go for it. Hope y'all enjoy!

Finding Ark Natanus in the Remav system had been...well, a bittersweet event. The loss of the turian pathfinder, and the large, missing population of people had been a blow. And yet, Sara chose to remain positive, because 15,000 people was no small number. It would be a strain on the Nexus, supporting all of these people with Natanus little more than a wreck, but they would live, and with Avitus leading the search for the rest, she had no doubt that more good news would come.  
  
It had taken her a while to get back to the Nexus, as they'd popped in and out of different systems to take care of other calls for help and run various...well, 'errands', really, before returning to the station, and she was able to give her crew a very well deserved break while they restocked, refueled, and rested. Meeting with Tann went about as well as it usually did (she was never very good at political talk), but that was the extent of her real 'duties' here on the Nexus, and now she herself had time to relax...as much as she could, knowing that there was more out there that needed doing. Maybe PeeBee had been right when telling her she had a bleeding heart.  
  
“Ryder!” The flanged call startled her out of her internal thoughts as she made her way to the tram, head turning to find Tiran Kandros waving her over.  
  
Sara liked most of the Initiative leadership (even Tann, to an extent), but she was a bit more...interested in Kandros. Alright, a lot interested. He was easy to talk to, and despite his wish to not be the 'good one' in his family, he had a sense of honor and responsibility that Sara respected.  
  
So, when he called over to her, she approached, grasping the proffered hand to shake it. “Kandros, good to see you're doing well. Have the turian cryopods been arriving alright?”  
  
His mandibles flared in the equivalent of a smile, which Sara knew wasn't particularly common. “We've been getting them situated with relative ease, and waking up those we can. I wanted to thank you, Ryder. Deeply. Because of your help, we were able to find Natanus.”  
  
Sara's smile faded a bit. “It was mostly Avitus Rex's work. And we could only find a portion of the pods...”

'Geeze, Sara,' she thought to herself, 'what happened to positive thinking?'  
  
Tiran's grip on her hand tightened, and she realized he hadn't let it go. “15,000 people is not nothing, Ryder. You've given the turian people more hope than you realize. You deserve the thanks.”  
  
To his credit, it did make Sara feel a bit better. He wasn't the sort that gave out praise lightly, from what interaction she'd had with Tiran.  
  
“...Just glad I could help, then. I hope it's not creating too much more work for you.” Still, best to change the subject before she got misty-eyed.  
  
“Nothing that I'm not happy to take on, but mostly it's the usual.” He shrugged, and at that moment, Sara felt a surge of bravery.  
  
“Well, we can't work too hard, right? You should take a break sometime. Maybe we could get drinks?”  
  
A silence fell, and Sara felt her stomach drop and her cheeks heat. Okay, that had been really forward, hadn't it? Too forward, right? God, if Scott _ever_ heard about this...  
  
Tiran's mandibles twitched. “Forgive me if I'm reading too much into this but are you suggesting a...date?”  
  
Sara sputtered. “W-Well, yes....I mean, no, but...okay, yes, because, cards on the table, I'm, uh, definitely interested, but it doesn't _have_ to be a date, y'know, could just be a...er, drink between colleagues, o-or something...” She put her face in her hands, groaning. Sara had never been the most graceful of flirts. “Just, like, if you wanna...wind down. Either way. I'm gonna be here all week, s-so...just...shoot me an e-mail, I guess. I'll...go now.”  
  
Before Tiran could get a word in edgewise, Sara speed-walked towards the door for the tram, her face red as a cherry tomato. _'I am not sure that interaction went as intended, Pathfinder.'_  
  
“Shush, SAM.”

Tiran watched Sara hurry off, mouth somewhat agape, until he realized that the other militia members were watching as if this were a particularly juicy drama. His mouth and mandibles clacked shut and he narrowed his eyes, and a chorus of throats being cleared and coughs being made heralded a return to work left to be done. Tiran himself returned to the APEX terminal to check on the strike teams' progress, but found himself pondering Sara's offer nonetheless.  
  
Maybe he _did_ need to take a break.

 


	2. Will They or Won't They?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drinks help Sara and Tiran to get to know each other a bit more.

Sara woke to the pinging of her omnitool as an email came in, pulling her face up from her pillow and blinking sleepily. For a moment, she was confused about where she was, but when the fog of sleep finally dissipated from her brain, she realized she was in the Pathfinder suite on the Hyperion. Normally, she preferred to stay in her quarters on the Tempest when docked at the Nexus, but given that the ship was going through a deep decontamination, she was rather stuck in a room she wasn't quite comfortable using. Hell, she hadn't even moved the datapads that her father had left strewn about, and it had been months since she'd become the Pathfinder.  
  
She groaned in annoyance, considering whether or not she should attempt to return to sleep, but deciding against it. It wouldn't do her any good to get into the habit of sleeping in...she was only on the Nexus for six more days. She got up and fired up the coffee maker, pulling up her emails while the water heated up. Most of it was correspondence from people that needed her...occasionally thanks for what she'd already done, mostly people asking for more help. But there was one that caught her eye and helped her to wake up more, mainly because it brought to mind the very embarrassing exchange she'd had the day before.  
  
_About Your Offer_  
  
“Oh...shit.” Her face went hot immediately and she started to reconsider going back to sleep, if only in the hopes of forgetting all about this. Maybe Sam could erase parts of her memory.  
  
_'I'm afraid that would irreparably damage your brain.'_

“Of course it would. Ugh.” She drew her hand over her face and poured herself a mug of coffee. She was going to need it for what she suspected was going to be a reprimand about professionalism and her utter lack of tact. She sat and opened the email, steeling herself.

  
  
_About Your Offer_

_To: Ryder_

_From: Tiran Kandros_

_Ryder,_

_If the offer still stands, I can take some time off after 1900 hours today. Meet you at the Vortex?_

_Tiran Kandros_

 

Sara had to read through the email, short as it was, four more times before she could really glean that it was not what she'd been expecting in the slightest. Not only was it very succinct, but it also said that Tiran was accepting her offer.  
  
“Uhh...SAM, is this really from Tiran?”

_'Yes, Pathfinder. The IP signature matches Tiran Kandros' omnitool. I do not detect any signs that this was sent by anyone other than him.'_

Well, this was a pleasant surprise indeed. Most likely he only meant it in a friendly sense, but on a scale of 'You disgust me' to 'I want to have your hybrid babies', this was a pleasant middle ground. Sara had to drink the rest of her coffee before she could reply, and she figured that if he was keeping it short and sweet, she should do the same. At least in emails, she didn't have the same tendency to ramble.

  
  
_Re: About Your Offer_

_To: Tiran Kandros_

_From: Ryder_

_You're on._

* * *

 

Tiran didn't quite know what he wanted out of this night out. He stood at the bar, swirling his bourbon in its glass, lost in thought as he waited for Ryder to join him. He'd sent the email accepting her offer of a night out _intending_ for it to just be a drink between coworkers (of a sort), but when he thought about it further, he wasn't really sure if that was exactly what he wanted.  
  
Did he want a date with the human Pathfinder? Well...maybe. She was younger than he was, but still professional, and considering the circumstances in which she'd found herself, that was commendable. But when she'd spoken to Tann, especially, he'd been able to tell that she also had a rebellious streak, and he could certainly appreciate that as well.  
  
But was that enough to be interested in her?  
  
He found he didn't have time to ponder further, as Sara showed up right on time, looking a bit flustered. She spotted him from the entrance (not that it was difficult, given how open the Vortex's floor plan was) and gave him a wavering smile, making her way through the throng of people enjoying their evening after a hard day's work.  
  
“Hey, sorry I'm late.”  
  
He blinked at her and shook his head. “Late? Not at all. You're right on time.”  
  
She glanced at her omnitool and raised her eyebrows. “Huh. I guess you're right.”  
  
That seemed to make her relax, and in turn that helped him to relax. She greeted the bartender cheerily, taking a moment to banter with him (she had the ability to be quite snarky, which he'd seen when she'd spoken with Tann, but this was a little less reined in) and ordered a whiskey, straight.  
  
“Whiskey? You seemed more like the cocktail sort to me.” he commented, to get some conversation going...he didn't want to be a stick in the mud, after all.  
  
“Cocktails? I'll have you know, Mr. Kandros, that even though I was more tied with the research divisions that I was an Alliance marine.” she shot back, taking a delicate sip.  
  
He smirked. “And yet you take sips like a posh politician.”  
  
She gasped in mock outrage, a hand fluttering over her chest. “You take that back!”  
  
Tiran was rather proud of himself. He'd managed to break the ice and turned what could have been a relatively awkward start to the evening into something a bit more relaxed. They ended up migrating to an open table by the second drink.  
  
They mostly just talked. They talked about alcohol, the Nexus (though they tried to avoid work), the Angara, their lives before The Initiative...light, but with a lot of revealing hints here and there that helped the two to get to know each other. By the fourth drink, Sara had moved from sitting across from him to sitting next to him, and he found he didn't mind at all.  
  
“Maaan, I cannot wait for them to start waking up musicians. This place really needs a good band.” She rested her head on her hand as she stared pointedly at the empty stage.  
  
“I hope there are a few good synth producers out there. I could stand to hear something new out of them.”  
  
Tiran was beginning to grow rather fond of Sara's scandalized face.  
  
“Tiran! I thought better of you! Synth...psh.” She shook her head. “No, a country rock band is _just_ what the Vortex needs.”  
  
Tiran tilted his head. “Country rock...I don't think I know that genre.”  
  
She looked at him with shock, and then with pity. “You've never heard country rock? No wonder you want to listen to synth. Alright, we're going to rectify this, right now.”  
  
Sara pulled up her omnitool and queued up a piece of music from what he could see...and then she moved right up against him. He could feel her body heat through his civvies, right up against the less-protected skin of his hip. He swallowed, but Sara didn't seem to notice the sudden closeness as she pounded back the rest of her whiskey. “Alright, listen to this, and you tell me it's not something you want to hear live.”

He listened, though it was a bit difficult to concentrate with her being suddenly so close, and him realizing that he was not adverse to it. But he did, taking in the sound of a guitar...and a human singing with an accent that he had only heard fleetingly back in the Milky Way. What perked his interest though was a very...twangy instrument solo that had Sara bobbing her head against his shoulder. She cut it off shortly after, but didn't move from her position, craning her neck to meet his gaze.  
  
“So?”  
  
“That was...interesting. I'd have to hear more to really from an opinion.”  
  
Sara snorted. “Eh, you'll come around...if there's one thing humans do right, it's country rock.”  
  
Her lips pursed as she went deep in thought.  
  
“...And ice cream.”  
  
Tiran laughed, and ordered them both another drink.  
  
By the sixth...or was it the seventh?...drink Tiran no longer cared that Sara was right up against him, and had even slung an arm over her shoulder to make it easier for the rather shorter human female to show him pictures of some of the planets she'd visited, and he in turn produced a few pictures of Palaven, as he hadn't had much of a chance to leave the Nexus himself since taking up his position with the Militia.  
  
He'd shown her a picture of a former flame (not purposefully), and the conversation had turned to past relationships.  
  
“I've only really had two. The woman you saw before and an asari for a bit of a fling...my family never even knew.” he stated with a shrug. “It didn't work out...I was still too focused on actually being the good son. I have no doubt my parents would have tried setting up a politically-motivated marriage for me if I'd stayed. How about you, Sara?”  
  
Sara tapped her chin with her finger as she thought. “Three. I dated a guy in middle school for a year...but he was boring and Scott didn't like him. I mean, if I'd actually liked him more, I probably would have told Scott to shove off, but it wasn't like I disagreed entirely. Then there was an asari chick in high school. I was experimenting. Shut up.”  
  
Tiran flicked an amused mandible and Sara snorted.  
  
“...Then I was with a researcher when I was stationed at some Prothean ruins. He was sweet...we had to sneak around a lot, because, well...it was kind against regs. Maybe it could have gone somewhere, but he shipped off back to Palaven. He was only there on a short exchange with the Alliance.”

That took him by surprise. “Palaven? He was a turian?”  
  
Sara glanced up, her gaze no longer quite as teasing. “Yeah. I'm not as closed-minded as other humans might be.”  
  
It was...a very enlightening bit of information, that was for sure. Coupled with the haze of alcohol, it was certainly giving him ideas that he'd been hesitant to entertain before. Which was odd...she had, after all, suggested this as a 'date' before anything else.  
  
Tiran's silence was a bit of a buzzkill to Sara. Did he not approve of that sort of thing? It was entirely possible, even if he'd gotten somewhat flirty the last few drinks.  
  
She figured it was probably best not to push her luck, and startled him by ducking under his arm. “Well, I'm sure you've got quite a bit of work to get back to tomorrow. Maybe it's best that the night ends here.”  
  
Before Tiran knew what he was doing, his hand had darted out to close around Sara's wrist, and they found themselves holding each other's gaze, neither quite knowing what to say.  
  
Did he want her to go? The answer was very quickly obvious to him, and his mandibles fluttered in nervousness.  
  
“Does it have to?”  
  
Sara's surprised expression turned instead into something pleased and very, very interested, and Tiran buckled himself in for a long, unforgettable night.


	3. Of Preparation and Missing Panties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara remembers a lovely night with a very prepared Turian, and totally sabotages herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, folks, had a bit of trouble writing this one! But here it is, and I'll try to get the next chapter out to you sooner rather than later!

The beeping from Sara's omnitool seemed to match the pounding it caused in her head, and she was incredibly grateful that it ended rather quickly.  
  
_'Pathfinder, Pathfinder Rex is requesting a meeting with you as soon as possible.'_  
  
Considering that she didn't hear an echo, Sara understood rather quickly, despite the hangover, that SAM was speaking to her privately.  
  
“Yeah, just...gimme a few minutes.”

_'Understood.'_

Sara attempted to turn, but found her movement restricted by an arm tucked around her. The moment she wiggled, that arm tightened, and she felt a rather flat mouth and a pair of twitching mandibles press against the back of her neck with a huff of breath.  
  
She opened her eyes just enough to take in an unfamiliar room. How had she gotten here, again...? It took her a bit to remember. She'd come on to Tiran (dumb), he'd accepted and they'd had drinks (great), she'd tried to leave...ah, right. Now she remembered.

* * *

 

_“Can I kiss you?”_

_Sara might have been drunk, and she was certainly into the turian that had pulled her back down into her seat, but she wasn't about to force herself on him. She could be drunk and still have morals._  
  
_Didn't mean she wasn't internally whooping in triumph when he nodded, though._  
  
_“I'd like that.”_  
  
_She went in first, needing to get up on her knees on the seat to reach his mouth. It wasn't quite so awkward...with her experience with turians and his with asari, it wasn't like this was their first rodeo entirely. The feeling of his talons threading through her hair at the back of her head made her sigh against his mouth, and he took advantage of her parted lips to slip his tongue past them._  
  
_It took her by surprise, and suddenly he was the one leading, stroking her tongue with his, the two wrestling within her mouth while she pressed her body closer against him. He radiated heat and tasted somewhat coppery, but with a hint of sweetness that likely originated from the drinks he'd been consuming that night._  
  
_Before she knew it, she was straddling his lap, her arms wrapped around his cowl, one of his at her hip and the other still at the back of her head. She had to give the guy credit...for someone that had never been with a human, he sure as hell knew how to kiss._

_She reached up beneath his fringe and drew her nails over the softer skin there, and he rumbled out a growl that made something deep in her belly tremble excitedly._  
  
_He pulled back, pupils so dilated that she could barely see the bright turquoise of his eyes as he stared at her._  
  
_“Where did you learn that?” he asked, his subvocals purring so deep that she damn near groaned._  
  
_“I got plenty of tricks I've picked up over time.” she teased with a tiny little smirk._  
  
_His grip on her tightened and she felt a bulge pressing against her inner thigh that was giving her many pleasant, naughty thoughts._  
  
_“My place or yours?”_

* * *

 

Sara attempted, once more, to wriggle out of Tiran's grip, but it was a moot point. She wasn't unfamiliar with the death grip turians seemed to have on their partners when they slept, but that didn't make it any less inconvenient. Luckily, enough, though, it seemed her movement had woken him, as the breath she felt against her neck was growing a bit faster.  
  
He made a sound halfway between a purr and a chirp that sent tingles down her spine, but finally his grip loosened enough that she was able to slip out and get to the edge of the bed. “Sorry I woke you.” she whispered, in case he was still asleep. A glance over her shoulder found that was not the case, as brilliant blue eyes blinked blearily at her.  
  
He yawned, lightly shaking his head and pulling up his omnitool. “No, it's...” he narrowed his eyes at the brightness of the holographic display, trying to read the time. “...it's about time I got up anyways.”  
  
Sara stood, stretched muscles that were deliciously sore, and began the search for her clothing. Despite what might have been an awkward situation, the silence between them was without tension.  
  
Sara managed to get most everything she needed...but dammit, where were her panties?

* * *

 

_Tiran's apartment had been decided on rather quickly, for which Sara was grateful. Even drunk, she wasn't keen on banging someone in what had once been her father's quarters. Talk about awkward!_

_Still, his small apartment was closer, anyways, and it was difficult to discuss much when her mouth was otherwise occupied._

_They only really separated when they reached the apartment, giving Tiran time to open the door. She was on him again the moment it closed, gently dragging he fingers beneath his fringe again, drawing out an excited growl._

_He lifted her up, and she instinctively settled her legs in the divots of his hips, their tongues dancing together almost as if their performance had been choreographed._

_Tiran finally broke the kiss to set her on the bed. “Shouldn't have worn armor..” he grumbled, causing her to giggle as he began the laborious task of removing it all._

“ _Tiran Kandros...always prepared, except when he's about to get laid...”_

_The turian snorted. “Open the drawer on your right.”_

_Sara did so, finding, to her surprise, a neatly organized box of condoms._

“ _Well, shit...you are_ very _prepared! Should I be worried about a jealous someone coming after me?”_

_It was partly a joke, partly a serious question. She was pretty convinced that Tiran wasn't the type to cheat, but she_ certainly _wasn't the type to help him do so. Even if she was, she had plenty of people already after her head for one reason or another._

“ _No no no, I promise you that's not even a possibility.” he stated seriously, allowing Sara to relax. “I'm just...always prepared, like you said.”_  
  
_He'd gotten halfway through his armor at this point, so Sara figured she'd better get “prepared” herself. Her clothing gave her much less trouble than Tiran's gave him (it was kind of adorable how he cursed when he had trouble removing a cuiss), and by the time he was finished, she was already bare._  
  
_His eyes roamed over her curiously, but in a hungry fashion she did not dislike. Deciding to be bold, she smiled and crooked a finger, prompting his mandibles to flare. So bidden, he moved forward enough for Sara to wrap an arm around his shoulders, giving her the leverage to guide him down atop her. “Let's test that preparedness of yours, then...”_

* * *

 

Sara continued what she was realizing was becoming a fruitless search as Tiran made his way over to the kitchenette.  
  
“I'd offer you coffee, but...well, I don't really have any.”  
  
He ran a hand over his fringe, but Sara simply shrugged as she stood up from where she was searching under the bed. “It's the thought that counts. I can't really stay, either way...duty calls.”  
  
She'd just have to abandon the underthings. It'd be an uncomfortable walk of shame, but if Avitus was trying to get in contact with her so early in the morning, it must be important.  
  
Nonetheless, the two stood, in silence, which had suddenly grown rather heavy. Sara opened her mouth to speak, but Tiran got the jump on her.  
  
“Last night was...enjoyable, to say the least. Thank you.”  
  
Relieved that he apparently didn't regret the evening, Sara smiled. “Definitely. I'd one hundred percent be up for a replay sometime.”  
  
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and she was seriously contemplating slamming her head into a rather tastefully appointed shelving system nearby. 'Way to be too damn eager, Ryder!' she chided.  
  
But, apparently fully of surprises, Tiran just flicked a mandible in a smile, eyes soft. “Yeah...I don't think I'd mind that.”  
  
She hadn't expected that. And because she hadn't expected that, she sputtered as she tried to find some kind of reply. “Uh, I....guh, umm...yeah. Yeah, okay. You've...y'know...got my number. So, next time you're free and I'm on the Nexus, just...er,...chk chk.”  
  
She gave him the finger guns. Dear god, she had just given him stupid, stupid _finger guns_.  
  
Her omnitool beeped, she took that desperately needed cue, and in a voice that cracked from her embarrassment, voiced her good-byes.  
  
“Work! Gotta get to work. Had a good timegottagobye!”  
  
Entirely unaware of Tiran's amused chortle, she turned on her heel and marched out, emitting a high pitched sound of self-disgust half the way to Meridan so that she could get some goddamned panties.


End file.
